The FAA said there were 764 drones sighted near airplanes last year, despite guidelines prohibiting flying drones near planes or within five miles of an airport unless the control tower has been contacted first. Drones also are supposed to fly below 400 feet, stay away from stadiums and remain in sight of the operator. (A report that a British Airways plane had been struck by a drone on approach to London’s Heathrow Airport was later discounted.)

The FAA began evaluating a drone detection system being used by the FBI this month. The tests at JFK examined the ability of the system to identify five types of drones, including common rotorcraft and more advanced fixed-wing drones.

“We applaud the FBI and FAA for their efforts to detect and track unmanned aerial systems” (or UAS), said Thomas Bosco, the aviation director for the Port Authority of New York. “We look forward to supporting continued U.S. government efforts to identify and deploy countermeasures to neutralize the threat posed by rogue UASs.”

There has been virtual consensus in Congress that steps must be taken to prevent drone-airplane collisions.

“Unless more is done, it’s not if an accident will happen, it’s when,” Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) said at a hearing of the House subcommittee on aviation last year.

“We don’t really know what happens when you suck a quadcopter [drone] into a jet engine,” said Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.), who pointed out that a four-pound bird hits a jet moving at 260 mph with the force of 12 tons.

The FAA last year released proposed regulations for drones weighing less than 55 pounds. They require that the devices remain within the operator’s line of sight, cannot operate above anyone not involved with drone operation, can be used only during daylight hours, must yield the right of way to other aircraft, cannot move faster than 100 mph or above 500 feet, and that an operator must contact air traffic controllers if operating in airspace they control.

It is estimated that 700,000 drones were sold in the United States last year.